LOS ANGELES, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A utility giant, who controls natural gas and electricity service in Northern California and was under investigation for its potential faults in the fatal Camp Fire last month, requested a rate increase of almost 2 billion U.S. dollars from its customers for wildfire prevention.

According to report of Axios.com website Saturday, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), asked state regulators Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in new official filings for large increases in monthly electricity and gas bills in order to invest in the company's Community Wildfire Safety Program.

The filings said PG&E, who provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California representing 5.2 million households, required 1.1 billion dollars in new revenue in 2020, 454 million dollars in 2021, and 486 million dollars in 2022 for the investment.

If the request were approved by the PUC, customers who receive both gas and electricity services from PG&E can expect to pay 12.55 dollars more a month in their power bills.

"Through this program, the utility proposes to bolster wildfire prevention, risk monitoring, and emergency response efforts, add new and enhanced safety measures, increase vegetation management, and harden its electric system to help further reduce wildfire risks," PG&E said in the regulatory filing.

The company also promised that the request fund would not be used for a series of potential lawsuits, in which it was accused of mismanagement equipment and causing wildfires scorched Northern California in October 2017 and this November.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) released an investigation report early this year, stating that 16 of 21 mass wildfires which erupted in northern California last year were caused by electric power and distribution lines, conductors and the failure of power poles.

The cause of the Camp Fire, the deadest fire in the Golden State's history, is still under investigation. PG&E confessed in a letter to PUC last week that one of its employees called 911 on Nov. 8, around the same time the Camp Fire broke out, after spotting flames in the vicinity of a high-voltage tower near the place fire began.

According to data of CAL FIRE, 88 civilians were dead in the Camp Fire, while 13,972 residences, 528 commercial and 4,293 other buildings were damaged and 153,336 acres (620.5 square kilometers) were torched. Enditem

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